8 years for addict who mugged men

A drug addict who mugged a homosexual man he met in the Temple Bar area has been sentenced to a total of eight years by Judge…

A drug addict who mugged a homosexual man he met in the Temple Bar area has been sentenced to a total of eight years by Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

John O'Neill (23), of Goldenlane, Dublin, robbed cash and property to the value of over £1,000 from the man on January 10th, 1998. Judge O'Donnell said the victim was seeking "some sort of sexual relief" and was lured from Temple Bar to Christchurch where O'Neill robbed him.

Garda Donncha Maguire told prosecuting counsel Ms Olive Crowe that O'Neill also robbed other male victims on October 3rd and October 29th, 1999.

Judge O'Donnell imposed four- and five-year sentences on two of the indictments which will run concurrently, and a further three years each for other offences which are to run consecutively because O'Neill was on bail when he committed them. He will review the case on July 11th, 2002.